Strawberry Soul
by Mikael v'En Sandahrus
Summary: Basically, this is a little fanfic I've been working on. Set one year after the events of Strawberry Panic, I threw in some magical elements from a novel I read called Tairen Soul, and added my own character in it as well, the only male named Michael.
1. Chapter 1

Aoi Nagisa sighed, turning a page in her French textbook without interest.  
For a month, the entire school had been buzzing with exciting news; The Head Mistress had announced the approval of a seventh year to the school. Though she didn't reveal all of the details, she did announce that she would be leaving on official business regarding the decision. After she left, someone started (and as it seemed to Nagisa, fueled) an argument over who should hold the position of Etoile. Many have demanded that the current Etoile, Shizuma, Nagisa's new girlfriend, remain as Etoile. Others have argued hotly that the new couple, Hikari and Amane, should assume the title. Such had borne a very high state of agitation between Miator and Spica, despite the near futile efforts of the teachers and Le Lim to calm the rage, and many accidents and skirmishes have broken out since. In fact, Nagisa noted that it seemed only she, Amane, Tamao, Chiyo, Hikari, Yaya, and Tsubomi maintained a circle of friendship, despite the never ending influence of the students' attitudes.  
A muffled, low rumble began to sound, and Nagisa turned to the door just as her friend, Tamao, burst through and slammed the door shut.  
"Tamao-chan?" she asked, "What's going on?"  
"The...students..." Tamao gasped, clutching a stitch in her side; apparently she ran, despite the school's strict rules, to get away from whatever trouble she encountered, "want...to...see-you..."  
Nagisa rose from her bed, giving no mind to the textbook as it fell to the floor. "Why?"  
"I don't know-" A noise began to grow, an angry tirade of young, female voices, and the floor began to slowly tremble. Tamao threw herself against the door, holding the doorknob tightly, "But I think it's because you're Shizuma's new girlfriend."  
A look crossed her face for a moment as she said it. It was, not just from the effort of keeping the door closed, a look that spoke plainly of her grudging reluctance and envy towards Nagisa's choice, but that look disappeared as she redoubled her efforts.  
Suddenly, a loud voice, strong and commanding, cried out: "ENOUGH!"  
The two recognized that voice. It was Miator's Student Council President, Rokujou-sama, attempting to call the students back into order.  
"The Head Mistress may be away, but that is NO reason to disturb the peace of Ichigo Sha!" she said furiously. Nagisa and Tamao risked a peek outside, and saw Rokujo standing outside the door, barring entry, against a large crowd of students, most looking somber, others stubbornly indignant, while a few looked outright hostile. "I will not tolerate such behavior. Now, return to your activities and do not commit such a crime again!" She, however, remained standing as the crowd gradually dispersed.  
When they left, Rokujou turned to the door. "May I come in?" she asked politely.  
"Yes!" Tamao and Nagisa stood back to let the elder student in. Both gave a slight bow in acknowledgement of her status, but she ignored it.  
"Aoi Nagisa, have you heard from the Etoile, recently?" She asked bluntly.  
Nagisa glanced once at Tamao in confusion for a moment before replying, "No. I haven't seen her at all today. Why?"  
Rokujou didn't answer immediately, but she pinched the bridge of her nose in a weary gesture. "Shizuma-san was supposed to attend today's Student Council meeting regarding the...dispute...throughout the school, but no one has seen or heard from her, yet. I was hoping you might know."  
Nagisa's gaze went downward. "I'm sorry, Rokujou-sama, but I haven't seen or heard from her today, either." She gaze snapped back up, and she looked Rokujo straight in the eye. "But I'll go look for her."  
"Nagisa!" Tamao interrupted, concern and suspiscion plain on her face, "What about your French?"  
"I can do it later," she replied quickly, "Please, Rokujo-sama, let me look for her."  
Rokujou regarded the flame haired girl with interest. Ever since the fiasco of Shizuma stealing her away from the Etoile election, she has noticed a certain change in Nagisa's attitude. She had become rather headstrong, true, but while she maintained her modest nature, she had become more courageous, and never hesitated to help someone. Rokujou suspected this change to be the result of Shizuma's influence, but was glad for it.  
"Very well," she relented, "As Shizuma-san never lets anyone but you find her, you may go." She ran a critical eye at the younger, now bright eyed student, "But do not broadcast what you're doing. If anyone asks, I sent you to receive a package for me. Understood?"  
"Yes, ma'am."  
"Alright." She opened the door, and gestured to Nagisa, "After you, but be careful."  
"Yes, ma'am!" Nagisa made her way past Rokujo, and immediately headed for the stairs.  
It took her a while to get outside, as students were attempting to draw her their way, but she managed it. Finally, she made it to the greenhouse, but once she got close enough to look inside, her spirits fell.  
Shizuma wasn't inside.  
Sighing, she turned and intended to head inside when an odd sound, faint but very distinct, caught her attention. It sounded like fighting.  
Curiosity took hold, and she headed in the direction of the noise, wondering what was going on. She darted through trees until she reached a small clearing, and her eyes went wide with awe.  
A tall, teenage boy, no older than seventeen, was apparently training with a wooden log full of small sticks. He was very handsome, lean but well muscled, wearing a grey sweater with a hood and pouch, blue jeans, and what looked like American sneakers. His handsome face was flushed, and he was relentless with his moves. He had a strange hairstyle, his jet black hair cut military style except for two very thin, long ponytails, jutting from the back of his neck, reaching down to his ankles.  
Just as Nagisa thought he might know where Shizuma was, he darted around the post, lifted it with one punch, and kicked it with so much force he sent it flying. Muttering a curse, his hands and eyes suddenly glowed silvery white, and the post flew back to him and landed neatly in front of him. The glow changed from white to emerald green, and the post simply...disappeared.  
Nagisa watched in shock and wonder as he bent down, his eyes now returned to their mild brown tinged with chocolate. He had a somber look, but it changed quickly to stony blankness as he glowed green once more. A sharp pillar made of rock suddenly shot out of the ground behind him, and he leaned against it, staring skyward in apparent deep thought.  
Deciding that it was best to remain hidden, Nagisa made her way back to the dorms, eager to tell Tamao about her incredible encounter. She had just made it back to the gates when she saw the silver mane and amber eyes of her girlfriend.  
"Shizuma-san!" She raced up to her and grasped her in a fierce hug, kissing her with such passion the students around them stared in surprise, but neither girl cared.  
"Nagisa," Shizuma whispered softly. They released, all but their hands, and maintained eye contact. Only then did Nagisa notice the brief flare of anger in her love's eyes, but that look was quickly replaced with enormous love and kindness, along with a hint of scolding. "I was worried. I looked for you in the dorms, but Tamao-san said you had left."  
"To go look for you!" Nagisa quickly explained the events of what happened earlier, though she intentionally left out her encounter with the teenage boy. "So you need to go to the Student Council right away!"  
"Very well. Would you like to accompany me, or return to continue studying?"  
Her head drooped. The shock of her discovery had made her forget her French, but she pushed that thought aside. "Um..." she looked back at Shizuma, worried, "I'd like to go with you, if you don't mind."  
"Why would I ever mind being by your side?" It sounded like a mere statement, but the meaning behind her words made Nagisa blush, and Shizuma smiled, "In truth, it may be the better idea. Come on," she said, turning, "Let's go!"  
Together, the pair strolled back inside.


	2. Chapter 2

Finally making it to her dorm room, Aoi Naigsa didn't even bother to undress as she fell face first onto her bed, exhausted and worried.  
She realizes now that attending the Student Council meeting with her girlfriend, Hanazono Shizuma, was a bad idea. The moment they entered the meeting room, all but Rokujou-sama and Lulim's council gave her hard, cold stares. She had blushed furiously with embarrassment, but remained the entire time. Poorly thought, as she laid witness to a blazing row between Miator's and Spica's Student Council presidents.  
The question, "Who will be Etoile?", was the main subject - or rather, the point of this meeting. When given her opinion, Shizuma merely glanced at Nagisa before replying: "I think we should let the Head Mistress resolve this when she returns."  
Such a reply ignited a fresh argument between Rokujou and Spica's president, Tomori Shion, which lasted for almost the majority of the meeting, or so it seemed to her. After Shizuma spoke, Nagisa noticed that Kaname and Momomi, two representatives of Spica, were eyeing her; not glaring, but giving her sneering, calculating looks. It made Nagisa very uneasy, but she just looked politely back.  
After, she had excused herself, gave Shizuma a quick kiss (drawing more glares from several students) and returned to her room, intending to fall asleep even though it was still dusk. It wasn't until she rolled over that she noticed something odd about her bed.  
"What the...?" She got up and examined her bed. Her blankets were jumbled, as though someone had been searching it. Rather odd, she thought, as her friend, Tsukidate Chiyo, never left a part of the room untidy. She pulled the blanket out, and saw a small, slightly bulging envelope fall from the folds. Dropping the blanket, she picked it up and opened it.  
Inside was a small, tightly folded paper, and two, simply cut but brilliant jewels, one deep, crimson red, the other a piercing, cobalt blue.  
She stared at them in surprise. Jewels this beautiful must have cost a lot of money; they certainly couldn't have come from her friends. Maybe they came from Shizuma...? Looking for answers, she unfolded the piece of paper and read:

Dear Aoi Nagisa,  
I believe you saw me training in the forest, near your school's greenhouse. I apologize if I startled you. While I was training, I had felt a very powerful, sun-bright soul reach my attention, which made my actions go a little haywire. I suspect the soul I felt was yours.  
It's for this reason that I give you these gems. I won't describe what they are and what they do - yet. Instead, I'd like to meet you and Hanazono Shizuma tomorrow, preferably where I was training. And bring those gems with you - if you want me to explain all.

-Anonymous

Nagisa felt very confused. 'What they are and what they do - yet.' What did that mean? Could they hold some kind of magic? And how does he know her name and that of Shizuma's? Why does he want to meet them both? Could HE possess magic? Or is a trick, planned by some jealous student?  
Tired, confused and anxious, Nagisa put the matter away in her mind. She gathered up the letter and jewels, put them back in the envelope, hid them underneath her pillow (For she couldn't think of anywhere else to put them) and laid back down on her bed, falling asleep immediately.

In her room, Shizuma pondered the momentary feelings. She felt tired, an increasing sense of confusion, and a nagging, baseless worry, all gone almost as fast as they came.  
'What was that...?' she thought. Suddenly, the tired feeling was back, and growing, as though she was exhausted. Closing her door, she made it to her bed before falling fast asleep.

In the moonlight, the boy smiled as he felt a powerful resonance between the two crystals, and an echoing resonance between two souls. "Indeed," he said to himself, "They must be the first...in a thousand years."


	3. Chapter 3

"So, that's why you were gone for so long?" Tamao asked with interest.

"Yeah," Nagisa said. The two were eating lunch together, along with Hikari, Chiyo, Yaya, and Tsubomi. All of her friends showed considerable interest in the "mystery boy" Nagisa found, and were curious at the letter he supposedly sent her.

"Maybe he's an angel!" Chiyo exclaimed.

"Shh!" They hushed. Fortunately, no one else was paying them much attention.

"Don't be silly, Chiyo," Tsubomi said, "Most likely, that boy is some sort of renegade or criminal. That'd explain how he knows Nagisa-san and Shizuma-sama."

"But, that doesn't explain how his eyes and hands glowed," Hikari pointed out.

"Or how he was able to send a large hunk of wood flying," Tamao added.

"Or how he pulled a sharp pillar of rock out of the ground," Nagisa persisted.

Tsubomi was unimpressed. "I bet he used some special gadgets or something to make some illusions, and thats what Nagisa saw: A bunch of convincing illusions."

Nagisa refused to back down. "I didn't see anything that looked remotely fake," she argued, "AND I bet that pillar is still there."

Tamao's eyes lit up. "Then why don't we go see?" she said excitedly, "If it wasn't an illusion, then maybe he left that pillar there!"

"Yeah!" The others agreed.

Two hours later, the girls made their way through the forest close to the greenhouse. Nagisa led the way, determined to prove her claim.

They reached the clearing, and Nagisa's spirits soared: The pillar was indeed still there, as was...

"Hey!" she whispered to the others, "He's back again!"

The girls all hid behind trees, watching him.

The boy was standing with his back resting on the pillar. He still had a somber look, and his eyes were closed. They saw him mutter something, something that would've been inaudible had the wind not blown their way.

"To think...that two mortal humans - young women, no less - had the potential to form a soulbond. The first bond to be achieved in a thousand years..." His eyes opened, and he looked skyward. "That resonance I felt...those crystals wouldn't have acted that way if it wasn't true. And that echoing resonance...for it to be so strong...they must have a powerful lovebond already."

Nagisa was vaguely aware of her friends eyes on her, but didn't pay heed. That boy had distinctly said "mortal", "soulbond", and "crystals": that meant he WAS the one who sent that letter, and it also means that he holds some sort of magic, after all.

Unnoticed, Chiyo was standing on a particular branch. She intended to shift her footing, only to break the branch with a small *chik!*

The boy gave a start, turning their way. His eyes narrowed, and his hands had balled into fists. "Who's there?" he called. To their alarm, his eyes and hands began to glow a faint lavender. Each girl felt a slight pressure in their head, as though they were being poked.

"Uh-oh." Chiyo said.

"RUN!" Nagisa cried, and they all ran as fast as they could through the trees, trying their best to put some distance between themselves and the boy. They didn't stop running until they skidded to a halt in front of the greenhouse.

Directly in front of Rokujo-sama and Shizuma.

"Nagisa?" Shizuma darted to her immediately, scooping her in a tight hug, then pulled back to look at her, eyes scanning her for a hint to her distress. "What happened?"

"What were you six doing in the forest near the greenhouse?" Rokujo didn't show any outward emotion except genuine surprise.

"We...we..." Nagisa stammered, stalling just enough to catch her breath, "We saw...something."

"Something?" Rokujo echoed, "What something? What did you see?"

"We saw a..." Nagisa hesitated, eyeing her friends. How much trouble would they be in if the Student Council president of Miator learned that they were watching a boy - directly on school grounds? "We saw...a rock."

Shizuma glanced at Rokujo, then back at her love. "What sort of rock did you see? And why were you running?"

Nagisa thought rapidly. Tamao, however, spoke first. "Nagisa told us that she saw a strange rock around here," she said quickly, silencing the others with swift glares, "It looked like a stalagmite, only it wasn't in a cave; it was in a clearing not too far from here. And we were running because we thought we heard something close."

"Yeah," Hikari chipped in, "It sounded scary, like a bear."

Rokujo looked confused. "There aren't supposed to be bears in these woods," she said flatly, "But I am curious about this rock. Could you take us there?"

"Uh..." Nagisa looked at Shizuma. Her face was blank, but her eyes held the usual amount of love, reserved only for Nagisa, who touched her heart. She hesitated a bit longer, until Shizuma said, "Please?" and kissed her.

The kiss was brief, but it left Nagisa breathless. She blushed furiously, and stammered, "O-of course, I'll show you the way."

Back at the clearing, Nagisa didn't find any trace of the boy, nor did she see the rock pillar he had summoned.

"So, where is it?" Rokujo asked impatiently, "Where is this rock?"

"It was right here." Nagisa stood directly on the spot, "Right here, I know it!"

"This better not be some cover story, Aoi Nagisa. What were you really doing here?" Rokujo's eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Shizuma gave her friend a hard look. "I'm sure Nagisa was imagining it," she said, "And her friends supported her story to keep her from getting in trouble."

Rokujo still looked unconvinced, but let the matter slide. "All right." She turned and left, arms crossed.

The others stared after her. "Hmph," Yaya said, putting her arms on her hips, "What's her problem?"

"The attitudes of our fellow students are getting worse," Tsubomi noted, "I bet the Student Council is starting to feel pressured."

Nagisa opened her mouth to speak, but before she could, Shizuma said suddenly, "Could you all leave, please? I wish to be here alone with Nagisa." The others stared in surprise, but didn't move until Shizuma said, "Now." Reluctantly, they heeded her.

Once she made sure they were well out of earshot, Shizuma turned to Nagisa, arms folded, eyes curious but firm. "Rokujo-san was right, Nagisa," she said, "Bears do NOT exist in these woods. What was the real reason you were out here, this far from school?"

Nagisa's head drooped. "Uh...well, there was a rock..." And she launched into the story of meeting the boy yesterday, and then again today, and their sudden departure after Chiyo alerted him to their presence.

Shizuma's eyes went from firm to surprise, and wonder. "So, this boy thinks that we are able to make a...soulbond?"

"Exactly." The voice - definitely not female - made the both of them give a start. Nagisa and Shizuma turned to the newcomer: A handsome boy of about seventeen, the same boy Nagisa saw earlier. "The two of you have the potential to forge the first soulbond in a thousand years." He grinned. "And I am indeed an angel."


	4. Chapter 4

"A-angel?" Nagisa said, grabbing Shizuma's arm. The boy was smiling warmly, as though he knew them as friends, but she couldn't help feeling a little scared.

"Yes," he replied. His smile faded somewhat, and he got down on one knee, saying, "And I must apologize for my probing, but I was very curious about you. And why your friends came along when I asked for Hanazono Shizuma."

Shizuma, after a brief glance at her love, said, "Probing? What do you mean?"

The boy got back up, smiling again. "I used Spirit to brush against your minds, and your memories. No offense, but I had to confirm it."

"Confirm what?"

His smile faded entirely this time, his gaze now grim and intent. "Confirm that you two have the potential to form the first, pure mortal soulbond achieved in the last thousand years. Many people have claimed for centuries that they have found their soulmates, that they have found people who thought and felt the same. They were deluded. Only two people, recognized by heaven, can achieve an actual soulbond.

"Before I continue," he added, bowing his head, "I must give you my name." He looked back up. "My name is Michael. Simple, but I was born mortal before I became an angel."

Nagisa echoed, "Born mortal? Does that mean you're dead?"

He gave a laugh, warm as his smile, that made Nagisa loosen a little. "No, no, I'm not dead. But my soul was bright enough to be recognized by Lords Adelis and Ratatosk, and they gave me my power."

Shizuma folded her arms. "Ratatosk? The Norse god who resided on the Tree of Life, Yggdrasil?"

"The very same. And I progressed so far with my transformation that I acquired a very high rank, a small amount before the title of god: Angel commander, or Seraphim."

"Wow..." Nagisa said.

"Now, enough about me," Michael said, becoming a little brisk, "I will ask you this now: Aoi Nagisa, Hanazono Shizuma, do you wish to bind your souls for all eternity, to fufill an unconditional bond of love and trust, to last until the end of time?"

A little taken aback by the sudden question, the two looked at each other, heart to heart, and then said, in perfect unision, "Yes."

His smile became more pronounced. "Very good. Now, stand before me, grasping right arms, and close your eyes." They obliged, grabbing each others right arms. Silvery white lit up Michael's eyes, and two gems floated out of Nagisa's pocket. He caught them, and cupped them in his hands, his eyes glowing green. When it faded, the glow changed back to white, and both crystals - infused with simple gold jewelry - flew out to attach themselves to the base of each girls' neck, red for Nagisa, blue for Shizuma. Michael placed his hand, palm up, on top of their own, and chanted, "Lord Adelis, Holy One, Sun of my Heart, begin the bonding of these two souls. Lord Adelis, Holy One, Guardian of my Soul, bless the union of the two chosen before me. Lord Adelis, Holy One, Angel of my Light, grant me the power to bond these souls into one, from now until the end of time!"

Balls of light flew out of his palm, encompassing the two girls until they were encased in pure light. Michael held his hand skyward, his eyes gone to pure, radiant light, "Let the soulbond... BEGIN!"

A ray of light shone directly on the prism of light, a powerful flare that lasted only seconds.

And then, as quickly as it started, the light faded, and both girls felt relaxed and at peace, as though the light became one with them. At the base of each neck, their gems sparkled with faint light.

Michael said, "You may open your eyes now."

Both girls did, and both stared in surprise at each others new jewels. They touched them, and marveled as they could vaguely but surely feel each others emotions.

"Done." Michael smiled again, more brightly than before. "Of course, I can't complete the bond for you. That path you must take alone. But I can tell you what you need to know."

Neither girl paid the slightest attention to him. Nagisa, eyes sparkling with tears of joy, leaped into Shizuma's arms, and kissed with pure, unrestrained love.

His smiled dimmed slightly, becoming more of a sly grin. "Or I could leave you in peace."

"Thank you," Shizuma said, turning radiant eyes of joy to him, "Thank you for this."

"No need. If you truly want to thank me, do what you can to fufill your bond. I can no longer tread this path with you; Now, it is up to you." He got down on one knee and closed his eyes. Almost immediately, two bright, sky blue, semi transparent wings appeared on his back, between his shoulder blades, and hovering on his head was a pure white, shining halo. His form suddenly shone brightly, making the pair shield their eyes, and when they looked again, naught was left of the angel but a few blue feathers, untouched by the gentle wind, floating gently into the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

The morning came bright and warm, and Nagisa was still savoring the newest blessing she received.  
Yesterday, she and Shizuma had spent almost the rest of the day together, marveling at their new soulbond, and wondering what it would be like when they finish the bond. Of course, they still had questions, but Michael, the angel who had blessed them, didn't leave them with any means to contact him.  
It was an hour before dusk when they decided to head back in. They barely reached the antechamber when Rokujo walked towards them, looking very bad tempered. She said to Nagisa, "Shizuma has work to do, so please return to your room." and dragged off Shizuma without another word or backward glance.  
Through her new soul crystal, Nagisa could feel Shizuma's emotions. She felt irritation at her friend's attitude, a slight drop of guilt at leaving Rokujo to the mercy of the Student Council, and her still vibrant joy of her new bond with Nagisa, all riding on an undercurrent of faintest anger.  
Nagisa didn't understand why Shizuma was angry. As far as she knew, Shizuma always let the opinions of others about her roll off of her, giving no outer emotion. She also wasn't Etoile for nothing; To be Etoile, you had to be something akin to the "best of the best", the most respected student at Ichigo-Sha.  
No, something didn't feel right. Nagisa made a mental note in her mind to ask Shizuma if anything was wrong the next time they have some time alone.

Nagisa just closed the door to her room when she heard the excited voices of her friends. Next moment, Tsubomi, Chiyo, Yaya, Hikari, and Tamao crowded around her, pelting her with dozens of questions that left her stunned.  
"Hey!" Tamao said, eyeing the base of her neck, "What's that jewel?"  
Nagisa blushed bright red. "It's a present."  
"From who?" Yaya inquired.  
Suddenly Chiyo's eyes went wide. "Did you get that from the angel?"  
Tsubomi rolled her eyes. "Come off it, Chiyo. I don't think he was-"  
"Yes, it came from the angel." Nagisa said, quite calmly, but smiling at the same time.  
The others stared. "So, he is an...?" Tamao asked quietly.  
"Yes," Nagisa said softly, gently touching her crystal. Immediately, Shizuma's feelings became a little sharper, and she couldn't entirely supress her renewed happiness, happiness that she knew would extend to her love. "That boy was an angel, and he..." Tears gathered in her eyes, tears that made the others utterly surprised, "Blessed me and Shizuma with our own soulbond."  
Utterly speechless, her friends stood stock still, staring in awe at the almost palpable aura of joy surrounding her. Then, Yaya gave a wide smile.  
"That's awesome, Nagisa!" Immediately, they began chatting again, firing questions about the bond and what the angel did, only this time, Nagisa noted that Tamao's face change subtly. Her eyes held happiness, true, but that happiness masked the envy and hurt that still showed.  
"Tamao-chan?" she asked, "Are you alright?"  
The negative emotions dissappeared. "Yeah, I'm fine," she said brightly, eyeing Nagisa intently, "So, what does it feel like?" And she joined in with her friends as they discussed Nagisa's good fortune.

Shizuma breathed a sigh of relief. The "work" that had to be done turned out to be quite different. Rokujo had exposed her to a very furious tirade, a powerful engine of fury that had gone full steam for almost an hour. Fortunately, she managed to hide her emotions well, a feat that proved difficult partways when she felt a wellspring of happiness erupt from Nagisa. After, they had retreated to the greenhouse to discuss, in private, instructions that the Head Mistress had delivered earlier that day.  
"...and we still don't have any more information on the matter," Rokujo said in closing, "So, we need to keep the rules as strictly enforced as possible to make sure the school continues to run normally." She eyed Shizuma critically, "What is it?"  
Shizuma had been gazing outside during the discussion, but she turned her attention back to Rokujo. "Nothing," she said, "I am tired. Shall we return to the school?"  
They did, and Shizuma continued to ponder the strange turn of events. Why did the Head approve a seventh year? Who was it that sparked the flames of discord within the school? What was the angel's real purpose for visiting? Was he connected to all this? These questions continued to revolve around Shizuma, each as pressing as the last...


	6. Chapter 6

Nagisa yawned widely, feeling the slight pressure of her soul crystal against her neck. She had grown accustomed to wearing it by now, and marveled at the fact that it never got dirty or filthy. If anything, it remained as pristine as it was when Nagisa saw it tumble out of the envelope she received.

Slowly, so as to not disturb her friend Tamao, who was still sleeping deeply, Nagisa quietly prepared her shower. As she bathed in the warm water, her hand brushed against her soul crystal by accident. This time, she felt a quick flash of Shizuma's emotions, rather than a steady flow. She felt love and curious intent, along with a brief hint of vague fury.

Almost after it faded, she felt a swelling feeling in her breasts. It didn't hurt - it actually felt good, almost ticklish - but it worried her enough to make her dart out of the shower to look in the mirror. She appeared healthy, but her bust looked a little bigger than normal. Worry faded, and she passed it off as her imagination.

After, she finished getting dressed, and intended to leave when a knock sounded softly on the door. Nagisa opened it, and ended up gazing into the amber eyes of her soulmate, Shizuma.

"Shizuma!" she rushed into her arms, hugging tightly, and happiness welled up as she felt Shizuma's feelings once more. Love, pure and shining, flowed over her, mixed with hot desire, and masking an extremely faint anger, quickly stifled.

Nagisa withdrew enough to gaze into her love's eyes. "Shizuma? What's wrong?"

Shizuma feathered a kiss against Nagisa's lips, smiling. "Nothing is wrong. Actually, I was hoping you would come with me."

"Why?" Nagisa asked, her curiosity aroused.

"Would you like to spend a private weekend with me at my vacation house? I have permission already, and I want to explore our soulbond..." She let the words trail off, but continued smiling at Nagisa. Nagisa picked up the hint easily, and smiled back.

"Of course," she replied happily.

Shizuma smiled more brightly. "Excellent. Shall we depart?"

Two hours later, after a quick chat with a disapproving Tamao, Nagisa found herself staring at Shizuma's summer house once more. The sight of it revived an old memory: Shizuma falling to tears at the old wound caused by the death of her first love, Sakuragi Kaori. Instead of comforting her, Nagisa had left the room feeling badly hurt. Neither girl have since mentioned that night.

"Nagisa?" Shizuma asked, placing a hand on her shoulder, "What is it?"

Nagisa quickly pushed the thought out of her mind. "Nothing," she said, "I just blanked out for a bit." She took the key from Shizuma, and unlocked the door just as a clap of thunder sounded. Both girls looked up sharply as clouds began to darken the sky, moving almost unnaturally fast.

They darted inside, Shizuma closing the door behind her. "That's weird," Nagisa said, "Wasn't it sunny this morning?" She was, Shizuma saw, watching the brewing storm apprehensively.

Shizuma looked outside too, and replied, "I asked someone about the weather before we left. A storm was headed our way. I didn't think it would come this fast, though..." she added as the sky continued to darken. Rain had started to fall; it was gentle at first, and then became heavy within a matter of minutes. Lightning ripped through the sky, and thunder followed not far behind, adding its roar to the howling winds and unrelenting rain.

'It's just like that night,' Nagisa thought.

Shizuma looked back at her. "What night?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"What night are you talking about?" Shizuma repeated.

Nagisa's eyes went wide. Shizuma suddenly felt her surprise, then a growing comprehension. "I didn't say that. I thought it." She smiled. "Maybe that means our bond is growing stronger!"

Shizuma felt the happiness flowing from her through their bond, and she smiled, too. "I hope so."

They spent the day talking, playing piano, and when the sky darkened to night, enjoyed tea next to a cozy fire. Shizuma glanced at the clock, and gave a sensual smile: It was a quarter to ten, and she felt Nagisa's sleepiness beat at them both.

"Would you like to go to bed, Nagisa?"

Nagisa, who was dozing with her head drooped, looked up and said, "Yeah, I'm kinda tired." She yawned. "But I think I'll shower, first."

"Mind if I join you?"

Her eyes snapped open, and she blushed furiously red. Shizuma felt her shock, and had to stifle a laugh. "If you don't want me to, I understand."

"N-no, I..." Nagisa stumbled in her speech, "Um, I mean...I thought you...uh..."

Now Shizuma did laugh. She sidled up to Nagisa, placed an arm around her, and kissed her gently. "So, does that mean you want to?" she asked playfully.

Nagisa's blush got, if possible, even brighter. "Um...I, uh...yes..." she said quietly, so soft it was barely audible against the outside.

"Alright, then," Shizuma said softly, giving her a longer, more passionate kiss, "Follow me."

Shizuma prepared the shower in the downstairs bathroom, which had a slightly larger shower chamber. After testing the water, she stripped down until she was fully naked, and then stepped in, motioning for Nagisa to follow.

She knew she had stunned Nagisa, even without their soulbond. Nagisa was standing there in her robe, staring at her body in silent shock, eyes filled with a hunger Shizuma had rarely seen before. She smiled, and asked, "Do you need help with your robe?"

The question seemed to shake Nagisa out of her trance, but her cheeks remained fiery red. She shook her head, took off her robe and, still blushing, joined Shizuma.

She closed the shower curtain, and then turned her gaze to Nagisa.

Nagisa was indeed beautiful. Her fiery hair fell to her shoulders, and her eyes were a deep pink, almost red, though they were pointed down in embarrassment. Her hands were clasped together, and the gesture squeezed her breasts slightly. On her neck, the soul crystal was shining with myriad, sparkling lights.

Shizuma smiled warmly. "You are very beautiful, Nagisa," she said, drawing her close, "Would you like me to wash your back?"

She nodded, and turned.

"Ah, no..." Nagisa moaned. She shivered a little in pleasure as Shizuma, very slowly, washed her back.

"Hmm? Don't you like this?" Shizuma said softly, tracing Nagisa's spine with her finger.

"I...n...I mean...yes..." Nagisa stuttered. She felt light and a little dizzy; coherent thoughts were once more stripped down to bare essence as she felt her need for Shizuma slowly blossom into desire: 'I love you. I want you. I need you.'

These thoughts flowed from Nagisa to Shizuma, and she could feel her soulmate's hunger very clearly. Her own hunger began to arise: Shizuma was fighting her reaction, hard, but her own emotions were building a harmonic, her desire feeding Nagisa's, and Nagisa's desire feeding her own. She knew she would have to succumb, and soon.

"S...Shizuma...w...wait," Nagisa moaned. She turned to Shizuma, cheeks still fiery red, but with a hint of pure will in her eyes, and said, "C-can we do it...in my room?"

Shizuma felt surprised, but desire was still hot in them both. They both knew they couldn't last much more.

"Very well."

They made it into Nagisa's room when she hugged Shizuma passionately. Robes falling forgotten on the floor, they fell on the bed, kissing fiercely. Shizuma held Nagisa tightly to her chest; their breasts squeezed together, just tight enough to elicit pleasure from them both.

'You're very soft, Nagisa,' Shizuma whispered in her mind, kissing her again. She reached for Nagisa's breast, but Nagisa stalled her.

'No, let me,' she whispered back. She led in their lovemaking before, and knew Shizuma's body as well as her own. She gently took one breast in her hand, rubbing it lightly until Shizuma smiled at her.

'Impatient? You want this instead?' She took her in her mouth.

'Nagisa...yesss...that.' Her thought hissed in pleasure as Nagisa tasted her. She felt her hand guiding itself to Nagisa's lower body, find itself inside her. Nagisa mimicked her action, rubbing her own inside. Both gasped as a powerful orgasm coursed through them, all at once, amplified by their soulbond.

Nagisa got up, placed her left leg over Shizuma's right, and began rubbing their lower bodies together. Almost at the same time, Shizuma sat up and echoed her actions.

Then, they cried in pleasure as a much stronger orgasm ripped through them both, and they continued rubbing faster and faster, their emotions echoing and building within each other, until finally, Nagisa fell on top of Shizuma, tired.

She suddenly felt a moist drop, and a rush of sadness. She looked up to see Shizuma crying silently.

"Shizuma? What's wrong? Why are you...?"

She smiled through her tears. "I'm sorry," she said, wiping the wetness from her cheek, "You're right. It's just like that time..."

Nagisa suddenly understood as an old, nullified but still painful loss hit her senses. Only this time, instead of feeling hurt, she let her love flow over her soulmate in waves, filled with sympathy.

"Kaori wouldn't want you blaming yourself for her death," she whispered.

"I'm sorry," Shizuma repeated, "Even now, it still hurts..."

Nagisa hugged her, kissing her gently. In the deepest part of her soul, a tiny door opened, and a thin beam of yellow-white, pure light fell between her being and Shizuma. A tiny, fragile thing, a thread of purest love, untouched by regret, forged in sympathy, and shining with the promise of a fresh start.

Tears began to fall from Nagisa's own eyes. She felt Shizuma's emotions much more clearly than before, and a simple thought rang clear in her mind:

'I love you, Nagisa.'

Nagisa kissed her, and whispered against her lips, "I love you, too, Shizuma. I always will." The clouds outside began to part, and a shining, beautiful ray of sunlight fell on them both as they finally fell asleep.

Michael, hands in his pockets, stood silently on the cliff, eyeing the dawning sunrise. He lifted his palm and summoned a tiny, pure white ball of light. The ball pulsated for a moment, and then grew slightly, so that it fit in the center of his hand.

He smiled, eyes glowing pure blue, flickering with white, sparkling lights. "The first thread has been forged. Well done, Nagisa, Shizuma."


	7. Chapter 7

Michael gazed skyward, eyes and hands glowing with lavender Spirit, his expression calm, almost detached. Beside him, growing impatient, Sheena's own glowed with a subtle mix of lavender Spirit and silvery white Air, but while he looked upward, she was examining the trees, her eyes slightly narrowed as if searching for something. After several moments, her glow faded, and she turned to Michael, one hand on her hip.

"Forget it," she said, "They're not here, yet. I can't even sense their presence."

Michael sighed. "Sheena, I can sense them. You can't because your power is not fully developed."

"Oh, that," she snapped, "And the fact that I'm not fully an angel yet, either, right?" When he responded with a frown, her hand dropped. "I'm sorry. I've never done this sort of mission, before, so I'm a little nervous."

"It's alright." His own glow faded. "They're here." He turned to her, his gaze loving and patient. "Would you like to remain here, or go with me to greet them, as Rokujo Miyuki is likely to do?"

She shook her head. "Nah. If anything, we still need to find out more about the source of dark power within Spica. I'll go check it out while you meet with them."

"Will you be alright by yourself?"

Sheena smiled. "I might not have all of my angelic power, yet, but I'm still a ninja, remember?" And without another word, she disappeared in a puff of smoke.

'Nagisa? Is something wrong?' The thought entered her mind easily, jerking her out of her reverie.

Nagisa had noticed, earlier in the morning when she awoke, that the soul crystal on Shizuma's neck had changed. It was no longer cobalt blue: it was now a midnight blue, with the faintest hint of violet. Before they had left, she checked her own appearance in the mirror, and saw that her crystal had also changed: it's color was now dark red, tinted with magenta.

She had also noticed that her bra seemed somewhat tighter than before. This time, she did not pass it off as her mind playing tricks on her: she was sure it had something to do with the soulbond.

In fact, she was so focused on the new development that her gaze slacked while she traveled back to Astraea Hill.

And she had been staring at Shizuma's crystal.

'No,' she responded, 'I was just thinking about our soulbond.' With an effort, she locked eyes with Shizuma.

'You noticed it, too, haven't you?' Shizuma touched her crystal, and the crystal began to sparkle with faint light. 'It seems to me that with every new thread we make, the more they take on each other's color.'

'Yeah...' Nagisa looked outside, wondering how she was going to say what else she had been pondering. Finally, she thought, 'During the Student Council meeting two days ago, not all of the students there were glaring at me.'

Shizuma frowned. 'What do you mean?'

She hesitated. 'Sayashiki Momomi and Kenjou Kaname. They were sneering at me...well, both of us.' Her next thought came out before she could censor it: 'I think they might be behind the school's chaos.'

The shocked look on Shizuma's face made her blush, but before she could elaborate, Shizuma thought, 'The possibility can't be ignored. They've done this sort of thing, before. But what would they have to gain from it, this time...?'

Nagisa looked outside again, perplexed, but smiled when she saw two blue-haired figures, one slightly shorter than the other, waiting for them at the gates.

The moment the car halted in front of the pair, Nagisa leapt out of the car and hugged her best friend. "Tamao-chan!"

"Welcome back, Nagisa-chan," Tamao replied, smiling. Gently extricating herself, she pulled out a white envelope and handed it to Nagisa. "I was told to give you this."

Nagisa checked the front of the envelope, but it was blank. "Tamao-chan, who is it from?"

Rokujo, arms folded, said cooly, "It came from that boy you talked to last Friday."

Nagisa started. "What do you-?"

"Don't pretend, Nagisa." The cold statement cut easily through Nagisa's question. She saw Rokujo's eyes narrow, her mouth curved in a frown, anger emanating from her entire appearance. "What business is there between you and that boy? What is going on, Aoi Nagisa?"

"Miyuki, that's enough." Nagisa suddenly realized that the emanating anger she felt was coming from behind her, from Shizuma. Shizuma placed a hand on Nagisa's shoulder, frowning at her old friend. She whispered in Nagisa's mind, 'Don't speak. Let me explain.' But before she could more than open her mouth, a male voice declared:

"Man, Rokujo Miyuki, you sure are determined to screw things up, aren't you?"

Michael walked out from behind a nearby tree, his eyes on Nagisa and Shizuma though his next statement was still pointed to Rokujo, "I told you before and I'll tell you again: Unless they desire otherwise, the business I have with Nagisa-chan and Shizuma-san is unrelated to you."

He grinned at Rokujo's surprise, then turned to Nagisa, his smile now bright and friendly. "I saw last night that you and Shizuma successfully forged the first thread of your soulbond. Congratulations!"

Nagisa smiled shyly back. "Thank you, Michael-san."

Michael nodded. "I trust Tamao-san gave you my letter?"

Nagisa looked back at the envelope clutched in her hand. "You sent this?"

He nodded again. "I forgot to tell you a few things the last time we spoke. You and Shizuma need to read that as soon as possible." He hesitated briefly before adding, "Please make sure you are alone when you read it."

Shizuma nodded. "Thank you very much, Michael-san."

"Wait!" Tamao stepped forward, her eyes narrowed. "Before you leave, could you please prove your claim that you are an angel?"

His eyes closed. "If you wish..." His head drooped, his face a stone mask of aloof calm. Suddenly, his wings appeared on his back, sky blue and translucent as before, and a halo, shining brightly, hovered above his head. His skin began to glow with silvery luminesence, and when he opened his eyes again, all four girls gasped: His eyes had completely lost both the whites and pupils. They were vast, deep pools of brown, swirling kaleidascopes of color, sparkling with light and glowing with restrained power.

His gaze swept over them. All four girls heard him speak in their mind, his voice powerful and echoing: 'I am the steel no enemy can shatter. I am the magic no dark power can defeat. I am the rock upon which evil breaks like waves. I am Michael, warrior of the gods, champion of light and mercy, and angel of the heavens.'

He released his hold on them, leaving them speechless with fright. The first to find her voice was Rokujo, who immediately stammered, "I'm sorry. I meant no insult-"

"I understand." As quickly as before, his form reverted back, his eyes returned to normal, a smile sitting on his face. "I must apologize, myself. I did not mean to frighten you; sealed within myself is a devastating force. I keep a strong grip on it, but sometimes it overwhelms me."

"And it's difficult to control when that happens," a voice rang out. Nagisa and the others turned to the source: A beautiful, attractive woman clad in purple clothing, a pink ribbon tied around her waist, was striding towards them, concern on her face. She addressed Michael again, "I have some news, and you won't like it. We need to get going."

His smile faded. "Okay." He turned to Nagisa and Shizuma. "Should you ever need to talk to me again, just send me a prayer." Without another word, he grasped the girl's hand, and both disappeared in a bright flash of light.

"I wonder what sort of power he was talking about?" Yaya asked. She, Nagisa, Tamao, Chiyo, Hikari, and Tsubomi were having another midnight tea party, and all were curious about Michael's powers, along with the girl who showed up.

"Maybe he has a demon sealed in his soul?" Hikari said.

"A demon?" echoed Chiyo, "But he's an angel, right? Why would he have a demon in his soul?"

Hikari blushed slightly.

"I don't think it's a demon," Nagisa said thoughtfully, "When he spoke in our minds, I caught a glimpse of something in my mind's eye. I dunno if I imagined it, but I thought I saw a giant cat with wings."

"I saw that, too," Tamao agreed, "Bat wings, right?" Nagisa nodded. "I bet the thing sealed inside him is a magical cat."

Everybody laughed at the idea. When they calmed down, Nagisa said, "But who was that girl who picked him up?"

"Maybe she's his soulmate?" Tsubomi suggested wryly. Now resigned to the fact that Michael was an angel, she shared the same, if not slightly skeptical, curiosity as the others.

Yaya frowned. "But you said she didn't have a crystal on her neck, right?"

"Yeah."

Tamao coughed quietly, giving Nagisa a pointed glance and playful smile. "If you ask me, she has features more filling than Etoile-sama."

"She does not!" Nagisa exclaimed.

"Shhh!" But the indignant look on Nagisa's face, replaced quickly with an embarrassed flush, made them all laugh again.


	8. Chapter 8

Nagisa awoke, a little groggily, to a bright ray of sunshine in a familiar room. She rose on her elbows, looking around, when she suddenly noticed an arm wrapped around her waist. She looked down and to her left, and smiled: Shizuma was still fast asleep, a slight smile on her face.

Of course, she felt a little guilty about last night. The laughing had almost uncontrollably gone up in volume until a sharp knock sounded on the door, revealing an unfamiliar Sister, causing the laughter to die instantly. They relaxed when the "Sister" pulled off her hood, revealing black hair with an untidy bun and brown eyes: The girl from earlier that day. She didn't stay for long, nor did she say much except a quiet remonstrance, and for Nagisa to go with her to the Etoile's room. On the way, they shared a quick conversation, which revealed the girl's name to be Sheena.

"So, are you and Michael soulmates?" Nagisa asked with interest, careful to keep her voice down.

"Yes," Sheena replied, "Though ours is extremely unique."

Nagisa frowned. "Unique?"

Sheena merely smiled. "I'll just say...ours has an extra end."

Nagisa couldn't figure out what that meant, but before she could ask, they found themselves at the Etoile's room.

"Before I go," Nagisa said, turning to Sheena, "How come you're dressed like a Sister?"

"Well...I'm not sure if you've noticed, but Michael has a lot on his schedule. He's perfect at nearly everything - he can multitask so many things - but he's been under pressure, so," she said with a smile and a wink, "I came over to help."

"But why...?" Nagisa motioned towards her robes and hood.

Sheena's smile faded, revealing a troubled expression. When she spoke, she spoke slowly, as though weighing every word, "A day after Michael initiated your soulbond to Shizuma, he detected a pair within the neighboring school, Spica, who had...selfish intentions. This pair had souls...fairly dark with shadow. He's worried that this pair might interfere with your soulbond. I'm here, as a new Sister and substitute teacher, to keep an eye on them and report anything suspicious to him." She lowered her voice even more as she knocked softly on Shizuma's door, "But please, don't tell your friends. Keep this a secret: not many are even supposed to know that this sort of thing, magic, even exists. You can tell them about the soulbond, and myself and Michael so long as they keep it to themselves, but..."

Nagisa nodded as they heard soft footsteps on the other side of the door, "I understand."

The door opened silently, revealing a fully alert amber eye. The door opened wider, and Nagisa saw her soulmate, in her nightshirt and pants, smiling at her. On her neck, the soul crystal began to sparkle with blue light.

"Thank you for escorting her, Sheena-san," she whispered politely, leading Nagisa inside, "And be careful."

Sheena nodded, put her hood on, and walked silently away. Shizuma quietly closed the door, and turned to Nagisa.

Nagisa now noticed a slight change. Shizuma's smile was curious, and intent, mixed with bright, beautiful love, shone brightly out of her eyes. She lifted her hand to cradle Nagisa's cheek, her thumb brushing against the soft, satin skin.

Nagisa gazed into her love's eyes. A now familiar fire had sparked in Shizuma's eyes, and the sight of it made liquid pleasure flow through her as fast as her blood. The hand against her cheek slid slowly, very slowly, down her beautiful neck, sliding over her chest until it laid to rest on her heart.

Nagisa gave a quiet gasp as, suddenly, memories flowed into her mind, vivid, enchanting memories that were not hers: A red headed girl giving a start, falling over backwards; Miyuki, arms folded, giving a blistering, old lecture with irritation in every word; A Christmas night, when two young women shared a night alone together after a wonderful ball; A platinum-haired woman snatching her love away from the Etoile election; Michael, his face shining with approval as he began their soulbond; A stormy night, where they made love with brief but breathtaking intensity; and finally, a golden morning, when they shared the hope and peace of their first thread, the first step towards completing their bond, to become not two people but one person, united for all eternity.

"Nagisa..."

She slowly came out of her trance, a smile on her lips. A single tear fell from her eyes, caught by Shizuma's hand.

"Do you know how much I love you?"

She cupped Shizuma's face in her hands, lips meeting. In her mind, Nagisa whispered, 'More than I had ever hoped.'

The kiss fueled the fire, igniting passion between them. Nagisa fell back onto the bed, laughing softly. Shizuma fell on top of her, her eyes glowing with love. 'More than I had ever dreamed...' she whispered back, 'The stars will fall before I ever stop.'

Nagisa smiled. Her own eyes began to glow, not only with love, but a palpable glow of soft, faint golden light.

Shocked, Shizuma leaned closer. The glow was not coming from any light source in the room, it was coming from her.

Straight from Nagisa.

Her gaze swept down to her crystal, and her shock grew to surprise: The crystal was not sparkling with light, but glowing with it, giving off a vibrant rainbow of seven colors: Emerald green, crimson red, silvery white, lustrous gold, cobalt blue, seductive lavender, and a dark, blue-black shadow.

Her surprise must had shown in her face, because Nagisa's own smile faded, replaced by worry. "Shizuma?"

Shizuma got up. "Nagisa, do you still have that letter?"

Nagisa sat up, worry neither wavering nor growing. "Yes, but why?"

She watched as Shizuma strode to her desk, lighting the lamp. "Open it."

The urgency in her voice convinced Nagisa that something was wrong. She fumbled with her pocket, and pulled out the envelope, slightly crushed. Silently, she handed it to Shizuma, who swiftly opened it and began to read, eyes narrowed in concentration.

Suddenly, her face registered nothing but shock. "Oh my God..."

Nagisa all but leapt up from the bed, rushing to her side. "What is it?"

Stunned into silence, Shizuma handed her the letter. As their hands brushed, Nagisa felt Shizuma's shock and surprise. By the pale yellow light of the lamp, Nagisa read:

Dear Nagisa-chan and Shizuma-san,

I should have told you this, but the joy that radiated from you before had somehow convinced me that you need not know some vital information. However, I cannot delude myself any more: You both need to know what you must about the bond, along with one very important theory I have.

I believe your bond may be powerful enough for you to wield magic.

As I've said before, the soulbond enfuses both of your souls into one. As this bond develops, you will both be able to - and must - share everything. Unfortunately, this includes both the negative and positive. This includes pleasure and pain. The chance of extended life - and of shared death.

However, not all of what I need to tell you is bad news. The resonance that I feel between your crystals, and yourselves, whenever you share a moment together is incredibly powerful, and it has gained in strength since you forged your first thread.

Within each soul crystal entrusted to each mortal is the soul from a reincarnated angel - that is to say, when an angel is restored to a human form, their powers and memories leave and crystallize, leaving a jewel colored with the branch of magic they had mastered.

While it's rare for pure mortal soulbonds to be found, and even more rare for them to be completed, it is even more rare for them to be powerful enough to revive the sealed angels' power, and enable them to wield magic. While this is the case, yours is so strong that the possibility cannot be ignored. I even suspect that you have shared a private moment of unity and peace since thus, and such moments are powerful indicators of potential magic.

If you have had any such moment since reading this letter, let me or Sheena know as soon as possible. Magic is a blessing, but without knowledge and guidance, it can be more of a nusaince, even a danger, for those unfamiliar with it.

Please respond quickly,

Michael

"Magic...?" Nagisa now felt shocked herself. She turned over the letter. "Wait! There's a P.S..."

One more thing: This isn't really important, but you may notice a change in Nagisa's body. Don't be alarmed: this merely means that Nagisa's body will start to take on some of Shizuma's body's characteristics via the soulbond, such as hair or eye color change, increased height or bust size, things like that. (It happened to my soulmate, Sheena, but all that changed was that she got taller, from 164 cm to 187 cm.)

Nagisa and Shizuma both stared at the letter; Nagisa stunned at the possibility of using magic.

Shizuma, however, was smiling again, mischievousness in her expression. "Increased height or bust size...?"

She boldly reached under Nagisa's arm to grope her chest experimentally. "Now that I think about it... you have grown quite a bit here..."

But before Nagisa could do more than give a pleasant gasp of surprise, both felt a sudden sensation: What felt like an electric shock coursed through them, and at the same time, they sensed a stifled, but still quite discernable, blast of pain. Following close behind it, they heard what sounded like a muffled scream, a roar of agony and unparalleled rage.

Both were stunned into stillness for a long moment, shaken by the echo of feeling. Nagisa, quite on edge now, spoke first, looking to Shizuma with wide eyes. "Wh-what was that...?"

Shizuma turned to the wall as her love spoke, where the sound seemed to have emanated from, though nothing could be seen. "I'm not sure..." she whispered, "But... something must have happened to Michael."

"Should we go help?"

Shizuma turned back to her love, concern written plain on her face. Whatever they sensed, it had killed the mood quite admirably, and now all she could sense was Nagisa's exhaustion and worry. She thought after a moment, expression set in an unsure frown.

"No... If we go now, we might be caught by a Sister, and then what help would we be? And I'm sure Sheena will see to him." She sighed, just as unnerved by the situation. Her eyes drifted to the clock, which showed it was a quarter to one in the morning. "It's late. We really should be getting to sleep..."

The next day dawned bright, and Nagisa enjoyed a fantastic meal with her friends in the bright sunlit outdoors, near the lake. The afternoon seemed inviting enough for such a get together, but the real reason they were outside was so Nagisa could tell her friends about Michael's last letter, away from other unwelcome ears.

"Wow. So, you can use magic now?" Chiyo was so surprised that her sandwich fell out of her hand back onto her plate during Nagisa's story.

"Yup," Nagisa nodded, albeit a bit proudly. "Apparently I wield all of the magic Michael has, but right now, the only one I know I can use is something called 'Spirit'."

"Spirit?" Hikari said, confused. "Which one is that?"

A voice from behind startled all of them. "It is the magic of illusion. With it, you can tap into a person's senses and present an image or sensation that feels real, but in reality is a fake." Shizuma was standing behind the group as they whirled around, arms folded, a smile on her face.

"Etoile-sama!" The words just barely escaped from them when her form wavered and glowed lavender, and dissolved into a fine mist.

Surprised, everyone looked back to Nagisa, who had an amused smile on her face.

"See?" Nagisa had her hand out, which harbored the same lavender glow. "With Spirit, I can make something that seems so real, you can't tell it's an illusion. And check this out!" Her hands glowed a little brighter, and she suddenly disappeared.

"Nagisa!" Everybody jumped again, looking around. "Where is she?"

A laugh sounded to Tamao's right. "Calm down, everybody! I'm right here!" They heard a rustling of grass, but couldn't pinpoint it.

"Where?"

"Here!" This time, the eerie body-less voice came from close behind Hikari, who promptly turned fast enough to stumble over her own feet and fall unceremoniously to the ground. She scrambled back up quickly, a blush on her face, hands fidgeting nervously to keep her skirt from riding too high.

More laughter peeled out, and Nagisa shimmered back to Tsubomi's left, grinning ear to ear.

Tsubomi, however, didn't look very surprised. In fact, she had a bit of a sly smile on her face. "That'd come quite in handy, don'tcha think, Nagisa?"

Nagisa's smile faded a bit, eyeing Tsubomi suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

But before Tsubomi could reply, she heard a voice from behind her. "That'd be handy in playing pranks, I bet!" They looked around to see Sheena walking towards them, dressed in a purple t-shirt and soft blue skirt. Her hair was tied back in a bun, and she had a pair of wire-framed glasses perched delicately on her nose.

"Sheena-san?" Nagisa mused aloud, looking confused at the angel's presence.

"Surprised?" She asked, smiling as she continued without waiting for a reply. "I landed a job here as a substitute teacher." She turned her body, arms splayed in display. "What do you think? Looks good on me, huh?"

From a short distance away, a beautiful girl with long black hair and red ribbons hurried over, all eyes for Sheena. "There you are, Fujibayashi-sama!" she said excitedly. "The Yearbook Club has been looking for you!"

Sheena frowned slightly. "Yearbook...oh, that's right. The interview!" She gave a slightly apologetic look to Nagisa. "I have to go. I'll see you in English class tomorrow!" With that, she dashed to Lelim, wondering eyes following her.

Chikaru turned to Nagisa as she left, interest bright on her face. "Sooo, Nagisa-san... how do you know our new teacher?"

Nagisa was slightly taken aback by Sheena's sudden appearance, but recovered enough to respond. "She's...she's a friend of my family's. She used to work overseas, but came back after I returned earlier this year. She's a good English teacher, but a bit of a klutz."

"A klutz?" Chikaru echoed. "So she's clumsy?"

"Sort of..."

She gave Nagisa a quizzical look. "Now that I think about it... she did say something like that earlier." Her eyes closed in thought, then she gave a tiny, rather theatrical jerk. "Oh, I just remembered. The Cosplay Club gained a few new members, and I was going to greet them. I'll see you guys later!" With a wave of farewell, she too dashed to Lelim.

Nagisa breathed a sigh of relief. "That was too close."

"Yeah," Tamao said.

A funny prickle of awareness touched Yaya, and she turned to look into the trees. Hikari noticed, and glanced at the trees, too.

"Something wrong, Yaya-chan?"

"No...I just...it feels like someone's watching us."

"Because someone is." The voice - male, flat and very familiar - sounded from just a few feet to Chiyo's left, and Michael suddenly appeared.

"Michael-san!" Nagisa said, welcoming him. Her smile faded slightly at his expression: His eyes had shadows underneath, his pupils were shaped like a nighttime hunting cat's, and his skin was slightly pale, as though he had been in pain.

"You and your friends must come with me. Now." The order came out swift, cold and sharp enough to make Nagisa flinch slightly.

Yaya's eyes narrowed. "You can't start ordering us arou-"

Michael's voice cut coldly through Yaya. "This is urgent. It cannot wait." Then, moving so fast he was nothing more than a flash, he raised his hands and created a small glowing lavender dome of Spirit. "Follow me," he said.

Together, they followed Michael to what looked like an impact crater. They all stared in surprise for a moment, then Nagisa broke the silence. "Michael...what happened here?"

His face grew stony, his eyes harboring inner rage and sadness. "I had an Outburst last night."

Nagisa frowned. "Outburst?"

"Wait a second," Tamao said. She had her arms folded, glaring suspiciously at his statue-like figure. "I remember Sheena saying something about you having trouble controlling your power. Is this-?"

"That's exactly what happened." His gaze moved to lock with Tamao. "Last night, my power began to increase wildly. I was able to contain it, but I couldn't prevent my magic from exploding." He gestured to the gigantic hole, sadness the sole emotion shining from his eyes. "This...what you see here...is just the tiniest example of how strong I am. If not for the barrier I made to keep it from being noticed, from being deadly, one thousand miles in diameter would be nothing more than a crater just like this. Everything...everyone exposed...vaporized to nothingness."

Nagisa and her friends gasped. Hikari and Chiyo covered their mouths with their hands.

Michael turned to them, a smile warming his former feelings. "You need not worry about me having another one. I've exhausted my excess power for the time being. Anyway..." He stepped into the crater. "Follow me. The real reason I brought you here can't be discussed beyond the ten of us."

"The ten of us?" Tsubomi echoed.

"That's right." He gestured to the center of the crater, where a faint purple-white glow formed, quickly replaced by three figures.


	9. Chapter 9

Nagisa immediately recognized the middle figure, and rushed towards her, joyful as always to see her soulmate.

"Shizuma!" leaping into her arms, she gave Shizuma a delighted kiss.

An unfamiliar red-haired girl gave a slight snicker. "If I didn't know better, Sheena, I'd say she's happy to see her." She glanced at Sheena, who smiled and shrugged.

Tamao frowned at the girl. "Who are you?"

"Calm down, Tamao-san," Michael said, "Her name is Asuna, and I invited her here." In an instant, he released the bubble of Spirit, and just as quickly created a powerful six-fold dome above them, just as large as the crater itself.

Chiyo was the first to notice his expression, which had lost its smile. "Um, Michael-san? Why did you call us all here?"

Nagisa released Shizuma, and all eyes fell on him, for he had suddenly given them his back.

He sighed. "Last night...after I awoke, I immediately detected dark energy being emitted from Spica, so I cloaked myself in an invisibility weave and investigated." He turned his head slightly, hands in his pockets. "At first, I thought it was the darkness in Kenjou Kaname and Kiyashiki Momomi, but..." he hesitated for a moment.

"But?" Shizuma inquired.

Michael shook his head. "It felt different. Thicker, more obvious...more powerful. Then, I sensed a malicious spirit, one that I have fought before...in a different dimension."

"A different dimension?" Nagisa and her friends spoke at the same time.

"Yes." He at last turned around, withdrawing his hands. He curled one hand into a fist, and with the other, he pulled out a strange knife, the blade made of shining steel and a handle wrapped in black cloth.

"This spirit, who thrives on Azrahn and is strongest at night, appears to be connected to that school, somehow," he continued. He scored his wrist lightly and pocketed the knife. "I've attempted to track him, but I've gotten no luck..."

Nagisa then suppressed a roil of disgust: his blood suddenly formed a red orb, connected by a single thread, above his wrist, and had suddenly turned pure, shining white. Michael, however, gazed intently at the sphere for a moment, then sighed. The sphere turned back into blood, and rushed back inside his wrist, which healed instantly. "I've a funny feeling that he might attack the real world, but what he will use as a conduit, I don't know..."

"But why tell us this?" Tamao asked, "It's not like we can use or even sense magic."

"Because magic can leave traces," he replied, "Sometimes very obvious traces. For example, when Nagisa used the invisibility weave, you couldn't see her, but you could hear when she walked on the grass, right?" He didn't wait for a reply. "I have much better methods of tracking evil, but they involve moving into the open, and sometimes it's best for my mission if I stay hidden. You guys, though...you can act as my eyes and ears. As students, you can move through the schools easily."

Chiyo was plainly terrified, but she nonetheless asked, in a small, quivering voice, "W-what is it y-you w-want us to d-d-do?"

"Yeah!" Yaya said enthusiastically, "If we can help you get rid of this darkness, just give us the details and we'll do it!"

The others nodded in agreement.

Michael smiled. "Thank you, my friends." His expression became serious. "Throughout the day, during your classes and at dawn and dusk, before you fall asleep, I want you to keep your eye out for anything or anyone suspicious. Anything remotely out of the ordinary - a normally polite student acting aggressive, a change in demeanor, even something abnormal in the environment - take note of it. If you think you've found something significant, then look for Nagisa, Shizuma, or Sheena and relay to them what you've found." He turned to those three. "When the others report something to you, relay their findings to me via a private Spirit weave." He finally looked at the group at large. "Under no circumstances are you to speak about this to anyone. No one else is to know what is going on or what we are doing. If the situation gets severe enough, I will do what I can to protect the area. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" everyone said in unison.

"Good. Now, for the second reason I have you here..." His gaze moved to Nagisa and Shizuma. "I have a bit of bad news that I did not fully explain before."

"Bad news?" Nagisa echoed.

Michael hesitated again. "I can't tell precisely when, since you've just initiated the soulbond a few days ago, but...sometime in the future, assuming you haven't completed the bond, one of you will become afflicted with a dangerous mental illness called the 'soul hunger'."

"S-soul hunger?" Nagisa repeated. She clutched at Shizuma. "What is that?"

Asuna answered for Michael when he didn't reply. "The soul hunger is an affliction that affects someone who has found their soulmate but has not completed the bond. In the early days of the hunger, they start to lose control over their thoughts. In other words, they begin to speak their mind more often, usually during times of weakness or exhaustion, then increasing over time until they cannot stop themselves. About one month to six weeks after the first sign appears, the afflicted steadily lose their ability to keep their emotions in check, so they're swift to anger. Their tempers become shorter, and much hotter as well."

"One month after the second sign," Sheena added, "The afflicted begins to lose their impulse control. They start to act out of instinct or habit more so than they usually do. Finally, seven weeks after the third sign, they begin to lose mental stability, resulting in hallucinations and even occasional insanity, eventually resulting in the victim's death."

Nagisa clung to Shizuma tightly, fearful for her as well as herself. 'Shizuma...'

"Isn't there a cure for the soul hunger, though?" Tamao asked in a slightly shaky voice.

Michael shook his head. "Other than completing the bond, the soul hunger is impossible to stop or even slow down through traditional means. And I should know," he added, his gaze at the ground, his face melancholy, "I was well into the third stage when I finally completed the bond."

Everyone except Sheena and Asuna stared in surprise. "How long did it take?" Hikari asked.

"One year."

Asuna smiled. "But that's only for the average soulbond. The stronger the bond between the two soulmates, and the stronger their willpower, the slower the soul hunger progresses."

"And judging from the initial strength of the bond," Michael said, without a change in his posture or expression, "I estimate the soul hunger will afflict either Nagisa or Shizuma in approximately eight weeks."

"Eight weeks..." Tsubomi put her forefinger on her lower lip in thought, "So, basically, they have until Thanksgiving before the first sign of the soul hunger appears."

"I'm not sure, but probably." Michael looked at the sky. The first color of dusk had appeared on the horizon. "It's getting late. We'll meet back here in approximately one week. Until then, stay safe, everyone. Asuna," he nodded towards the red-haired girl, "Let's go."

She grasped his hand, and together they disappeared in a blast of light.

"Well, come on," Sheena said, "I've gotta get you all back to school before someone spots us..."

"Kaname, what are you doing?" Momomi asked her lover irritably. She had bought a new nightgown, sheer silk colored lilac and turquoise with one shoulder strap.

"Writing a letter to Tomori," Kaname said vaguely. She finished her last sentence with a flourish, then folded it and placed it in an envelope. "There," she said smugly, "This little message should convince her. It's so ingenious, if I do say so, myself. As if I had worked a spell into the words."

She placed the envelope in the desk drawer, turned off the lamp, then found herself in Momomi's grasp. "Mm-hmm. Well, why don't you work some of your magic on me? " She tugged Kaname to the bed, her hands already undoing Kaname's nightshirt.

Kaname gave a lustful, seductive smile. "You're a very aggressive girl, Momomi," she said. She slid her lover's gown off of her body, then pulled her close for a kiss. "But that's what I love about you."

Unbeknowest to them, an evil shadow was beginning to swirl around them...

Over the week, Nagisa spent a little more attention to everything around her, noting people, places, and things. More than once, she saw something strange, and wove her findings to Michael. But insofar as she knew, nothing was terribly out of the ordinary.

Except for two Spicans.

Momomi and Kaname, vice president and secretary of the Spica Student Council, seemed to be happier than usual. Whenever they looked directly into Nagisa's eyes, she couldn't help but shiver a little; a strange darkness had crept into their own eyes, and they were more cunning than usual, even during council meetings, according to Tsubomi.

"Whenever Tomori-sama isn't looking at them, they look at each other with the same smile on their faces, and more than once, one of them would say something that would put Tomori-sama on edge," She confided to Nagisa and Tamao during one lunch break, "I'd like to say they always do that, but the atmosphere around them has definitely changed..."

Yaya and Hikari were just as unsuccessful as the rest. "I'm starting to wonder if this whole thing is just some big farce," Yaya said in a grumbling whisper to her best friend, one Wednesday afternoon in the dressing rooms. "Except for Kenjou and Kiyashiki, I haven't seen anything weird. Have you?"

Hikari shook her head, eyes down as if to check her collar. "No, but maybe we should keep at it. What if something does happen?"

Yaya gave a disbelieving sound but didn't reply, her attention turned to her bra.

Sheena, who overlooked Nagisa and Tamao's English class that week, was also fruitless in her observations. 'Just keep looking,' she said to the pair on a private Spirit weave, 'Michael still hasn't sensed anything, but I trust him. What he believes, he believes absolutely.'

At last, Saturday evening, Michael sent a curt Spirit weave into the girls' minds: 'Meet me in the greenhouse. Sheena, Shizuma, Nagisa, weave invisibility on the rest so you're not spotted. Do not delay, and do not draw attention to yourselves.'

As soon as the weave was sent, Nagisa and Tamao got dressed and sneaked out of the dorm. They walked slowly and carefully to the antechamber, where they could see Shizuma and Sheena apparently deep in conversation. Shizuma cast the quickest glance their way, and nodded to Sheena. Both stopped talking, and they expanded their weave to include the newcomers before setting out.

Undercover of the weave, Nagisa asked, "So, what did Michael find out?"

"Don't know," Sheena replied. For the first time, Nagisa could hear a tiny thread of fear in her voice, "He refused to tell me or Asuna, and he closed off our bondthreads. I can't even sense him."

"Don't worry," Asuna reassured the group, "I'm sure it's nothing serious."

'And if it is?' Sheena asked the red-haired girl on a private weave.

Asuna set her face in grim lines, her eyes blank. 'Then we'll probably have to move out into the open, but I hope it doesn't come to that. The last time we revealed ourselves...'

She let her Spirit voice trail off, but Sheena knew what she didn't say. The last time they had revealed themselves, they had sparked an incredible catastrophe that resulted in the death of two country rulers and a horrific genocide from Michael's own tairen flame. He had scorched thousands in seconds, millions in a handful of days. Because of that one act, in one week half the world in that dimension was ruined and more than twelve billion people had died. The world was so overcome with darkness, however, that Adelis ordered the planet to be destroyed, despite Michael's reassurances that it could still recover.

The mere memory of it, shared by Michael second to second, made Sheena shiver with worry despite the warmth of the outside. 'I hope we don't need to reveal ourselves.'

They reached the greenhouse in good time: it was a half-hour after five, and the sun was still high. But no sooner did they enter, and Chiyo close the door, when the door's lock gave a loud snap and the greenhouse was incased in a blazing six-fold weave.

"Good, you're all here." Michael gave a twitch of his hand, and a second dome, woven purely of Spirit, encased them further.

"What's this about, now?" Yaya asked slightly exasperatedly.

Her tone made Michael frown. "You speak as if this is a game that has grown wearisome," his voice was soft and smooth, but pulsed with barely concealed anger that made Yaya pale, "Rest assured, Yaya, this is no game to be trifled with."

She stumbled backwards into a table as a shimmering aura of scarcely contained power glowed around his body, his eyes glowing amber with the full power of his tairen. Immediately, Sheena and Asuna stood between the two, healing weaves of Love and Earth spinning towards him.

He brushed the weaves aside with an impatient hand. "Don't bother weaving peace on this tairen, you two," he arched a glare at them. "What happened Friday night is not something to be discussed lightly."

Asuna glared back. "We're just trying to calm you down. Can't you see you're scaring them?" She gestured at Nagisa and the others, who all held separate levels of terror in their faces. Chiyo and Hikari had even taken refuge behind Tamao and Yaya, who in turn were behind Tsubomi, Nagisa, and Shizuma. "How do you expect them to cooperate when you can't control your anger?"

"She's right," Sheena said. Looking more patient than she was feeling, she walked over to Michael and placed her hands on his shoulders, eyes locked together as she spoke in his mind. 'I can tell you've found the source, but if you don't control yourself, they will start to distrust you, which will hurt our efforts to keep this world - and Nagisa and Shizuma - safe. If the information you hold from us is as bad as we fear, you need to be as calm as possible so the blade makes a small cut rather than a painful slash.'

'I am calm,' he snapped, but the quick flash of power behind the heat of those words hit his senses with the force of a hammer, and logic cut through his burning Rage with icy clarity. With visible effort, he closed his eyes and tamed the wild power within, while the two beautiful girls in front of him continued to weave peace on him.

"Michael?" Shizuma asked when the aura of power dimmed and disappeared, "What happened on Friday?"

With blunt honesty, he told them. "The soul I told you about last week attacked Friday night. I kept it from escaping into the school, but some of his energy got past my weaves during the fight. The soul of the Shadow Lord, Nebilim, has infected two of Astraea's students." His face became grim, eyes burning with rekindled anger. "And I am certain who know them."

"Yeah," Nagisa said, "Kiyashiki Momomi and Kenjou Kaname."

Michael folded his arms, eyes closed and tense, as if readying himself for a fight."That's right, and odds are, they will begin to undergo a dangerous transformation, similar to a shadow-version of the soulbond. Only their souls won't unite - they will instead morph and fuse with the will and power of Nebilim." His eyes opened, and he cast a brooding glare at the distant school, "Now that things have come to this, there are only two options: Purify their souls forcefully with holy water and purified Azrahn, or kill them."

"Purified Azrahn?" Nagisa echoed. "What do you mean? I thought you said Azrahn is too powerful to use."

"Azrahn is a bit like crude oil," Asuna said, "In its raw state, it's like a blue or green tinted black shadow, absorbing all warmth from its surroundings and giving off a extremely powerful sweet stench. In that form, the soul of the user as well as the target becomes open to change, influence or destruction. When Azrahn is purified through an angel's soul, however," she added, "It takes on a blue-tinted white color and has a faintly fragrant smell like fresh rain and flowers, similar to healing weaves. When it's purified, Azrahn can absorb and eliminate all traces of evil from a person's soul, as well as safely begin the binding of two compatible souls."

"But the purification isn't always the same, nor is the outcome," Sheena said, "The farther the target soul is steeped in evil, the more painful it becomes for both the target and the user during the purification process, because the user's empathy becomes abnormally acute when using purified Azrahn. If the weaves aren't powerful enough, the purification can kill both the user and the target."

"That's really scary," Hikari said in a tiny voice.

"No kidding," Tsubomi agreed.

"Then...in other words, we have two options," Tamao summarized, "Either purify Kiyashiki-san and Kaname-san with Azrahn and holy water, or kill them." She looked at Nagisa, worry creeping into her eyes. "What'll happen to Nagisa and Etoile-sama if they're left unchecked?"

"I estimate that we have four months before Nebilim completely controls his victims," Michael said in a low voice, still glaring at the entrance to Miatre, "But even before then, through the girls he can spread distrust and fear through the school, possibly the entire city. If those negatives emotions grab hold of Nagisa or Shizuma, they will have to fight hard to continue the soulbond, else it will speed up the soul hunger."

Ootori Amane stood at the entrance to Miatre, resting with her back to the wall. She had spent much of her free time looking for Hikari, who had been acting strangely for the past few days. At first, she thought it was the dissent from the school, but now she couldn't help but feel something wasn't right. Something was going on, something more than distrust between students and a missing Head Mistress.

And Hikari was aware of it.

A strange tickling sensation on her arm made her open her eyes. In the distance, she thought she could see a faint lavender outline surrounding the greenhouse. Curious, she started towards the gates.

"Amane!" A voice called out. With a sigh, she blanked her face and turned to the Spica Student Council President, Tomori. She had a strange, wild glint in her eyes, and her face was glowering in anger. In her hand she brandished a letter, which she thrust forcefully into Amane's face. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Meaning of what?" She took the letter and gave it a once over, then calmly handed it back. "I don't know what you mean. I don't recall resigning from the Etoile-"

A stronger sensation - like a static shock, outlined with fear - hit her mind, and she cut off mid-sentence. She turned back to the greenhouse, frowning.

But Tomori wouldn't back down. "Then who sent me this letter, Amane? Because if it WAS you, you better have a good excuse for this!" She huffed. "I am returning to the school. See to it you're back before curfew."

But Amane didn't pay the slightest attention to her. Instead, as soon as Tomori had finished, she began walking towards the gates again, more briskly than before.

Hikari gave a tiny gasp, so small it would have been inaudible had Yaya not stood next to her. Excitedly, almost expectantly, she turned outside and stared at the school as well.

"Hikari?" Yaya frowned. "What's the matter?"

But Michael's backed stiffened in surprise. Wordlessly, he dispersed the Spirit shield surrounding the greenhouse. "Someone saw my weaves. And it isn't Kiyashiki or Kaname."

Sure enough, they all looked outside to see a blue-haired woman in a Spican uniform gazing in silent awe at the blazing six-fold weave still surrounding the greenhouse.

"What in the world...?" Amane whispered. The greenhouse seemed to be incased in a rainbow-colored bubble, the outlines giving off a palpable glow of light. And inside, she could see a small group of people. Three she didn't recognize, but in front was someone familiar. Someone she loved more than anything else in the world.

"Hikari!" She dashed to the door, but before she could get close enough to reach the doorknob, the bubble repelled her with such force she went flying several feet before landing hard on the walkway.

Hikari gave a gasp, louder this time, and yelled, "Amane senpai!" She turned to Michael and cried, "Please, let me go!"

Without a change in expression, he waved his hand. The shield around the greenhouse disappeared, and Hikari immediately dashed out to kneel by Amane, who had risen and put a hand to her face.

"Augh. What in the..."

"Amane-senpai! Are you okay?" She took Amane's hand from her face to examine it. Her right cheek had scraped against the concrete and was beginning to bleed. Quickly she took out a handkerchief and began to wipe the blood trickling down her face, but before the cloth could touch her skin, a golden light began to swirl around Amane. As it slowed, it sank into her skin, and the scrape on her face disappeared.

"I'm fine," she replied. Surprise lit up her face as she touched her cheek again, feeling for the wound that was there just a second ago. "But...what...?" She looked up to see the others behind her.

"You were forced back by a shield I had put up around the greenhouse," said an unfamiliar boy in a gray sweater. He had a strange glow around him, which winked out before she could get a good look.

"A shield?" she echoed.

"Yes. A magic shield."

"Magic?" She got to her feet, and got a better look at the group. "What do you mean?"

The boy didn't answer. Instead, he turned to the rest and commanded, "Everyone, please return to the school. I need a few minutes alone with Hikari and Amane."

They nodded, and the Etoile and a familiar teacher gestured. A purple glow surrounded their hands, and all but the boy and a red-haired girl promptly winked out of sight.

Amane's eyes widened in shock. "Where are they? What's going on?"

"Calm down, Amane," said the boy. Strangely, Amane felt herself begin to relax. "If you and Hikari could kindly follow me, I need to discuss something with you in private."

But Amane hesitated, clearly not trusting him. She just stood there until Hikari laid her hand on her. "It's okay, Amane-senpai. He's a good guy. We can trust him."

Her gaze fell to Hikari, but she still didn't move. "Do you know him, Hikari?"

"Yes. And he really does have something important to tell you. Please." She started to pull her towards the boy. Reluctantly, Amane followed.

They reached the antechamber in good time, but stayed for a quick and hasty conversation. Nagisa couldn't help but notice that Sheena and Asuna both had similar, rather silly looks of shock and bemusement on their faces.

"I don't believe it," Sheena whispered, still looking at the main doors, "Another soulbond? Within two weeks of Nagisa and Shizuma's?"

"And to cap it, they're both pure mortal, too," Asuna agreed. "This is nothing short of a miracle."

Shizuma frowned. "What do you mean?"

As they discussed the newest development, Nagisa and the others both noticed a change in Yaya's face. It was no longer exasperated; it was now one of envy and sorrow, and she too was looking in the directions of the main doors.

Nagisa felt she understood why she was acting that way. Last year, when she had first moved to Astraea, Tamao had been so happy and smitten by her that she immediately developed a crush, a crush that interfered quite a bit with her developing relationship with Shizuma, eventually resulting in a small fight between them. Since then, Tamao had respected Nagisa's choice, but Nagisa would often note even the tiniest reactions she gave when the Etoile cropped up in their conversations. Always the same; envy, jealousy, and on more than one occasion something that looked like hurt.

She knew that something similar had happened between Hikari, Yaya and Amane that same year. Yaya had also developed a crush on her pure-of-heart roommate; unlike Tamao, however, she was not subtle with her flirting, rather she excelled at hiding her feelings whenever Hikari spoke of Amane. That is, until one day when Hikari came back from her first date with Amane. A few well-chosen words from Kenjou Kaname and her steadily growing jealousy resulted in Yaya confronting Hikari as soon as she returned. Nagisa didn't know exactly what happened, but whatever happened had temporarily caused a small rift between them. That rift had closed fairly quickly, but it wasn't long before she realized that Hikari had been in the same situation as she was.

When the school year came to a close, Hikari had finally admitted to her closest friends what had happened; Yaya had kissed her and tried to get her aroused, only to be pushed away by Hikari before she could do more than massage her breast.

And now, with Amane and Hikari recognized as potential soulmates, she realized that Yaya's old emotions may stir once again. Something that could become very dangerous if Kaname and Momomi learned of it.

"Yaya-san, are you alright?"

She didn't respond right away, but when she did she turned and gave the group a wan smile. "I'm alright." She turned back to the doors, folding her arms as if she was proud of what happened. "Looks like this is a good thing, huh? Now Hikari has a soulbond, too…"

Tsubomi gave Yaya a rather strange look before glancing down at her watch. "Uh-oh," she said, "It's twenty minutes after curfew! We need to get back to our rooms before we're caught!"

"Then we'll split up," Asuna said, "I'll take Tsubomi and Yaya to Spica. Sheena, you go back to Michael and then return to your school duties. Shizuma can take care of Nagisa, Chiyo and Tamao."

"Okay." And with that, they dispersed.

None of Nagisa's group said a single word until they reached Chiyo's room, where they said good-bye, then up to Nagisa and Tamao's room. Shizuma gave Nagisa a quick parting kiss, a small nod to Tamao, and departed for her room without another word.

"I wonder what'll happen…" Nagisa thought aloud as she and Tamao got ready for bed. "With Hikari and Amane, I mean. Do you think they'll finish the soulbond?"

"Dunno," Tamao said vaguely. Nagisa noticed that she was spending an awful amount of time checking and double checking her nightgown. "But I can say this," she said, "If Yaya can't control herself, something really bad might happen."

"And you too, Tamao-chan," Nagisa said. As soon as she said it, she clapped a hand over her mouth as she heard a tiny but still distinct sniff. "Oh, I'm sorry, Tamao-chan! I didn't mean it like that!"

"No, it's okay," she said, her voice slightly wobbly. She gave another sniff and turned to Nagisa, her eyes tear-bright but with a watery smile on her face. "I mean, I'm happy for you. Really, I am. I can't think of anyone better to be your soulmate."

"Tamao-chan…" Out of sympathy for her friend's feelings, Nagisa walked over to her and hugged her. As soon as her skin touched Tamao's, she could feel a stream of emotion; old envy, tumultuous hurt, and a melancholy acceptance, as if an old and painful wound had finally begun to heal.

"I'm alright," she said again. She returned the hug and pulled gently from Nagisa's grip. "I think I'll take a bath. I'll leave some hot water for you, okay?"

"Alright. I'll just-" But whatever else was on Nagisa's mind never escaped. For at that moment, a growing sphere of light had blossomed in the forest. The pair both looked outside just as the light reached its apex, forcing them to shield their eyes as it grew in both height and intensity. Almost as quickly, the light winked out, leaving no trace of its brief appearance.

"Guess that means their soulbond has officially begun," Tamao said softly.

"Yeah," Nagisa agreed quietly.

Yaya just laid there quietly on her bed. When she returned, she waited until she could no longer hear Asuna and Tsubomi's footsteps, and then she cried for a good half-hour. As both a prideful yuri and a tomboy, it had never been in her nature to cry, but her old emotions from the previous year had erupted as soon as she saw that blinding light, and the idea of losing her best friend entirely had torn at her as badly as it had before, when out of jealousy and instinctive thought she had kissed her.

Now, she didn't feel anything at all. She didn't know what to think. She was jealous, true, but she was also confused, something else that she rarely ever felt. Even as she tried to make sense of what happened, it seemed too large, too overwhelming, for her to understand.

Suddenly, a memory of what Michael had said made her sit up poker-straight. Worry flooded her, and she jumped off her bed almost as soon as Hikari walked in with Amane, topaz and emerald glinting from the bases of their necks.

They were both radiant with joy, but their expressions faded when they saw Yaya, looking fairly woebegone. "Yaya-chan? What's wrong?"

"Did Michael tell you everything?" Her first question sprang from her mouth without conscious thought. Seeing the bewilderment on both of their faces, she elaborated quickly, "Did he tell you everything about the bond?"

"Yes, he did. Why do you ask?" Amane said warily. Yaya cut to the chase:

"How long do you have before the soul hunger hits you?"

Both of them glanced at each other, increasing Yaya's worry. Then Hikari faced her again and said, "He said he couldn't tell. He just said that he would observe us for the next few days."

Despite her fear of what might happen, Yaya strangely began to relax. "But it's not soon, right?"

Hikari shook her head. "No."

"That's a relief…" She turned and flopped back onto her bed.

Hikari and Amane glanced at each other again before Amane spoke. "Yaya-san, tomorrow Hikari and I will be going out for a few days. We'll return Monday morning, okay?"

"Yeah, sure," She said sleepily, waving her hand to show she understood. "Now lemme sleep. I'm tired…" and with that, she rolled over and fell fast asleep.

The next day, Nagisa and Shizuma had returned to the lake, after Michael had said to meet him there. They saw him standing next to the same tree from before, still pale, but with a faint smile on his face.

"Glad you two could make it," He greeted them.

"So, what magic branch are we practicing today, Michael?" Shizuma asked politely.

"Today, I thought we'd start with the elements, first. Starting with Air." He turned and gestured to the lake. A faint mix of blue and white tinted his hand, and a section of the lake had completely stilled. It now looked like a sheet of glass.

"For this exercise, you're going to use Air to make the surface of the water ripple. You don't need much power to do it, and Air is fairly easy to control when learning to use your magic, compared to the other elements." He sat down a few feet from the lake and gestured for them to join him. He hesitated briefly before continuing, "Unfortunately, I won't be able to guide you very well this time. Since your bond isn't complete, your minds are barred from almost all forms of entry. Usually, the teacher would slip his mind into his student's mind so he can oversee his weaves and correct them, but since your bond isn't finished, I will have to watch and observe your efforts through skin-to-skin contact. You first this time, Nagisa," he finished.

"Okay." She walked over and sat down before him, cross-legged as he was.

"Place your hands, palms down, in front of you, and close your eyes. Find your stillness like you did last time," he ordered.

She obliged, placing her hands down while closing her eyes. Just like before, the world changed into rainbows of color, only this time, Michael's almost blinding figure was noticeably dimmed.

'Now,' he said in Spirit, 'Pay close attention to what I do.' As he spoke, she could feel his magic welling up in response to his summons. His form slowly filled with white, and tiny tendrils lapped lazily from his hand towards the lake. The surface of the water rippled in response.

'Did you feel that?'

'It felt like a sigh.'

'Yes. When practicing the elements, it's best to imagine them in their natural state. Small Earth weaves feel like a smile. Small Water weaves feel like laughter, and small Fire weaves feel like a blush. Since I only need to ripple the surface, I called on only a little bit of Air and released it in a loose pattern. Now, you try.' She felt his hands shift slightly underneath her own. 'Imagine Air gathering to you. Let it fill you, become you. When you feel you have the amount you need, release it.'

She tried, but no white responded to her call. 'It's not working.'

'Try again. Don't fight your magic, let it come to you.'

She tried again, imagining it as a gentle breeze through the trees. She took a deep breath, almost feeling herself fill up with white as Michael crooned encouragement.

'Now,' he said gently, 'Release it.'

Tiny wisps of white escaped from her fingertips, and the surface of the water gave a small ripple in response.

"Excellent, Nagisa! Well done!" Michael said. "See? Like I told you, all you need is moderation. Brilliant!"

Nagisa felt herself blush as his compliments. "Thank you, Michael-san," She managed to say.

He turned expectantly to Shizuma, who had a strange glint in her eye. "Alright, Shizuma, you next."

"Very well." She strode over to him and set herself down, hands touching Michael's own. Nagisa stood a little to one side, waiting patiently. She saw Michael give a small frown, but in moments felt Shizuma release her own weave of Air. The surface of the water gave a large ripple, and small splashes of water sprinkled them both.

Shizuma withdrew her hands, and they stood, Nagisa returning to her side. As soon as her hand slid into Shizuma's, she immediately felt a small touch of jealousy, which disappeared so fast she thought she imagined it.

"Excellent, you two," Michael said proudly, "You are both progressing very well. However, given the state of things I would not recommend that you use magic around others. Now that you have conscious control of Spirit and Air, you can weave a simple privacy spell to protect both your actions and your weaves." He glanced at a watch strapped to his wrist: it showed twenty minutes after three. "I must go. We'll have our next lesson on Water, next Saturday."

They nodded, and he left in his usual fashion.

"So, what now?" Nagisa asked as his feathers seeped into the earth.

Shizuma frowned a little. "Miyuki has been a little distant with me since Michael last spoke with her. I think I'll go and try to smooth things out." She leveled a gentle but firm gaze down at her soulmate. "And you, Nagisa, need to continue with your studies. You are doing admirably in French, but you're starting to neglect your English. Why don't you look for Tamao-san and request her help?"

Nagisa's eyes lowered. She had indeed been slightly neglectful of her studies, especially her English, and she could not afford that to continue. "Okay," she agreed reluctantly, "I'll go find Tamao-chan."

"Thank you."


End file.
